Joint seal system with winged barrier

ABSTRACT

An integral multilayer joint seal. Layers of foam, layered co-planar to the adjacent surface, are interspersed with a barrier layer which extends beyond the foam layers to provide a protective surface, a surface for attachment atop adjacent substrates, or a connecting tab for use with adjacent joint seals. The foam layers may be uncompressed or partially compressed at the time of joint formation and may be composed of open or closed, or hybrid, cell foam. The foam may be impregnated with a fire retardant or may be composed of a fire retardant material, if desired. The barrier may have a tensile strength greater than the adjacent foam. The joint seal may have an elastomer, such as silicone, at its top and/or bottom, and may even include an elastomer layer within or about the barrier.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent Ser. No. 15/189,671,for “Joint Seal System,” filed Jun. 22, 2016, which is incorporatedherein by reference, which was a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/630,125, for “Joint Seal System, filed Feb. 24, 2015, issuedAug. 2, 2016 as U.S. Pat. No. 9,404,581, which is incorporated herein byreference, and claims the benefit and priority of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/946,311, filed Feb. 28, 2014 for “Joint SealSystem,” which is incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure relates generally to systems for creating adurable seal between adjacent panels, including those which may besubject to temperature expansion and contraction or mechanical shear.More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to providing anintegral multilayer joint seal system against one or more of water,fire, sound, air, smell, radiation, resistant and/or heat.

Description of the Related Art

Construction panels come in many different sizes and shapes and may beused for various purposes, including roadways, sideways, and pre-caststructures, particularly buildings. Use of precast concrete panels forinterior and exterior walls, ceilings and floors, for example, hasbecome more prevalent. As precast panels are often aligned in generallyabutting relationship, forming a lateral gap or joint between adjacentpanels to allow for independent movement, such in response to ambienttemperature variations within standard operating ranges, buildingsettling or shrinkage and seismic activity. Moreover, these joints aresubject to damage over time. Most damage is from vandalism, wear, andenvironmental factors, where the seal may become thick and inflexible orare fragile. As a result, “long lasting” in the industry refers to ajoint likely to be usable for a period greater than the typical lifespanof five (5) years. Various seals have been created in the field.

Various seal systems and configurations have been developed forimposition between these panels to provide seals which provide one ormore of fire protection, waterproofing, and air insulation. Thistypically is accomplished with a seal created by imposition of multipleconstituents in the joint, such as silicone application, backer bars,and compressible foams.

These systems, however, often fail due to the differences in compressionand expansion of the various constituents, or the lack of bondingbetween layers, or because the system is directed to a particularpurpose, such as water-resistance, but is exposed to fire, causing theseal system to fail and permit water to migrate behind the seal system.Vandalism, normal wear and environmental exposure can change or defeatthe properties of the exposed surface coating or membrane. There is alsothe case where the best material or barrier may not be used because itis aesthetically unpleasing or cannot easily be colored. By moving themembrane feature to an internal level sufficient to protect it and allowfor the best properties of the joint sealant, these limitations can beovercome and the useful lifespan extended.

Additionally, in some cases the movement of the joint may be limited,sometimes to only twenty-five percent (+/−25%) in compression andexpansion, for a total movement of only fifty percent (50%). Thesesystems often use closed-cell, rather than open-cell, polyurethanefoams. The need exists for a seismic joint having a fifty percent (50%)movement in each direction, for a movement total of one hundred percent(100%).

It would be an improvement to the art to provide a joint seal systemwhich would include a plurality of compressible layers joined into asingle unit prior to imposition and which includes a membrane barrierpositioned intermediate two compressible layers. It would be furtherimprovement to provide the various compressible layers with differingwaterproofing and/or fire rating properties.

Additionally, for joints greater than the one (1) inch size, typicallyof pre-compressed joint sealants with a silicone face, a myriad ofpotential failure risks exist. Typically the surface coating of thesejoints is relatively thin and can be damaged. Where joint substrate isirregular, a complete seal at the joint face might not be accomplished.Water intrusion from behind the joint face could find its way into orpast the joint sealant and may result in poor performance or a leak,particularly problematic is products that rely on water-basedintumescent surface coating, which can delaminate if subject tocontinuous moisture.

It would therefore be an improvement to safeguard the criticalfunctions, by way of membrane barrier or the membrane barrier separatingdifferent operations of the foam, away from the surface where they canbe damaged or bypassed. Thus, the joint seal surface will serve itsprimary aesthetic function of filling the joint with a matching orpleasing color without having the primary purpose of the system (water,fire, etc.) subject to failure from superficial damage.

Additionally, foam sealants can take a compression set at some point. Ifthe foam sealant systems designed based on laminations (acrylics orstrong pressure sensitive adhesives's in particular) are parallel to thejoint substrate, they tend to separate over time, losing their sealantproperties. The norm for these pressure sensitive adhesives impregnatedsystems is to use multiple, parallel laminations that are held togetherby their own adhesive force. These types of systems rely heavily on theelastomer surface coating for sealing and intumescent surface coatingsfor fire resistance. If there is any damage to the thin (60 mil or lesscoating) the system will not perform as designed. This is furthercomplicated by the use of the multiple laminations that if separatedwould let water, smoke or fire penetrate the system. Failure of any ofthese listed shortcomings will reduce the useful lifespan of the jointsealant.

Because the primary sealant is always subject to adhesive, cohesive andenvironmental forces and therefore tends to wear out over time and leak,it is a good practice to have redundant systems.

Therefore, it would be an improvement to provide a joint seal with itsown redundancy, particularly with regard to compression of foam seals.

Finally, it would be an improvement to provide a joint seal having alaminated or profiled lamination structure that could benefit from thepush pull function of the joint.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure therefore meets the above needs and overcomes oneor more deficiencies in the prior art by providing a joint seal systemwhich provides a plurality of compressible layers, which may havedifferent fire rating properties, joined into a single unit prior toimposition and which includes a barrier intermediate the plurality ofcompressible layers.

The disclosure provides a multi-layer joint system wherein layers offoam, layered co-planar to the adjacent surface, are interspersed with abarrier layer. The foam layers may be uncompressed or partiallycompressed at the time of joint seal formation and may be composed of anopen cell, closed cell or hybrid foam impregnated or infused with apressure-sensitive adhesive, which could be acrylic, styrene butadienerubber (SBR), rubber, wax, asphalt or others apparent to thoseexperienced in the trade, or an unprocessed open or closed, or hybrid,cell foam. A foam may be impregnated with a fire retardant, if at all,or may be composed of a fire retardant material, if desired. The barriermay have a tensile strength greater than the adjacent foam (which may bemuch greater). The joint seal may have an elastomer, such as silicone,at its top and/or bottom, and may even include an elastomer layer withinthe barrier.

The joint seal therefore includes a first body of compressible foam, asecond body of compressible foam, and a barrier adhered to both thefirst body of compressible foam and the second body of compressiblefoam, wherein all three components have equivalent lengths and widthsand are aligned to provide common ends.

The joint seal is constructed by providing a first body of compressiblefoam, providing a second body of compressible foam, providing a barrier,adhering the barrier to the first body of compressible foam at the firstbody bottom, and cutting the first body of compressible foam, the secondbody of compressible foam, and the barrier to provide a common firstend, a common second end, a common first side and a common second side.

In an alternative embodiment, the joint seal includes a first body ofcompressible foam, a second body of compressible foam, and a barrieradhered to both the first body of compressible foam and the second bodyof compressible foam, wherein the foam bodies have equivalent lengthsand widths but the barrier extends beyond the edge of the first body ofcompressible foam on at least one side, which may turned up or down andadhered to the foam or the substrate, or which may be driven intoadjacent joint systems or may be overlaid adjacent substrates beforebeing covered with substrate materials or other covering.

The present invention thus provides redundancy, and potentially a statusnotification of change in critical joint conditions in situ forwater-resistant, fire-resistant and/or roof expansion joints.

Additional aspects, advantages, and embodiments of the disclosure willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdescription of the various embodiments and related drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the described features, advantages, andobjects of the disclosure, as well as others which will become apparent,are attained and can be understood in detail; more particulardescription of the disclosure briefly summarized above may be had byreferring to the embodiments thereof that are illustrated in thedrawings, which drawings form a part of this specification. It is to benoted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typicalpreferred embodiments of the disclosure and are therefore not to beconsidered limiting of its scope as the disclosure may admit to otherequally effective embodiments.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a side view of the expansion joint sealsystem of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an isometric view of the expansion jointseal system of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a side view of an alternative expansionjoint seal system of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a further alternative expansion joint sealsystem of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a further alternative expansion joint sealsystem of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a further alternative expansion joint sealsystem of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a further alternative expansion joint sealsystem of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an illustration of the further alternative expansion jointseal as installed together with a polymer nosing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a joint seal 100 is provided for impositionunder compression between a first substrate 102 and a second substrate104 separated by a distance 105. The joint seal 100 includes a firstlateral body of compressible foam 120, a second lateral body ofcompressible foam, and a lateral barrier 134, which are joined togetherto form an integral unit prior to the imposition under compressionbetween the first substrate 102 and the second substrate 104. Theformation of the joint seal 100 as an integral unit prevents the failuretypically seal at such joints where a component of the joint system hasseparated from the joint and partly, or entirely, migrated out of thejoint between the two substrates.

Consistent with this purpose, the first body of compressible foam 120 issized for use in the joint seal system, specifically to extend laterallyfrom a first substrate 102 to a second substrate 104, and therefore hasa first body top 118, a first body bottom 122, a first body length 202,a first body first end 204, a first body width 124, a first body firstside 206, and a first body second side 207. The first body ofcompressible foam 120 may be an open-celled foam, a closed-celled foam,or a hybrid foam. The first body of compressible foam 120 may beimpregnated with a fire retardant, if at all, or may be composed of afire retardant material, if desired. The first body width 124 is sizedto the distance 105 between the first substrate 102 and the secondsubstrate 104 so as to contact the first substrate 102 at the body firstside 206.

Similarly, the second body of compressible foam 128 is sized forformation of an integral unit with the first body of compressible foam120 and to extend laterally from a first substrate 102 to a secondsubstrate 104. The second body of compressible foam therefore has asecond body top 126, a second body bottom 130, and a second body length208, a second body first end 210, a second body width 132, and a secondbody first side 212. The second body of compressible foam 128 may be anopen-celled foam, a closed-celled foam, or a hybrid foam. The secondbody of compressible foam 128 may be impregnated with a fire retardant,if at all, or may be composed of a fire retardant material, if desired.The second body width 132 is sized to the distance 105 between the firstsubstrate 102 and the second substrate 104.

While the first body of compressible foam 120 has a first body firerating, and the second body of compressible foam 128 has a second bodyfire rating, the first body fire rating need not be the same as thesecond body fire rating. Moreover, while this first body of compressiblefoam 120 provides a primary sealant layer, it can be altered as a resultof any water which permeates into it, as this changes is properties,thus fire-rating properties may differ in case of water penetration, acircumstance which must be accounted for in any testing regime.Fortunately, because the second body of compressible foam 128 isprotected from water penetration by the barrier 134, the fire-ratingproperties of the second body of compressible foam 128 are not alsocompromised. A body's fire rating may include the temperature at whichthe body burns, or flame spreads, or, in conjunction with or as analternative thereto, the time-duration at which a body passes any one ofseveral test standards known in the art. In one embodiment, the firstbody fire rating is unequal to the second body fire rating. Selection ofthe fire rating for the various layers of the joint seal 100 may be madeto address operational issues, such as a high fire rating for the firstlayer, which will be directly exposed to fire, but which may providelimited waterproofing, coupled with a second body of compressible foam128 which may have a lower fire rating, but a higher waterproofingrating, to address the potential loss of the first body of compressiblefoam 120 in a fire.

Detection of a compromised primary seal, the first body of compressiblefoam 120, may be addressed by the inclusion in the joint seal of radiofrequency identification devices (RFIDs), which are known in the art,and which may provide identification of circumstances such as moisturepenetration and accumulation. The inclusion of an RID in the joint seal100 may be particularly advantageous in circumstances where the jointseal 100 is concealed after installation, particularly as moisturesources and penetration may not be visually detected. Thus, by includinga low cost, moisture-activated or sensitive RFID above or atop thebarrier 134, the user can scan the joint seal 100 for any points ofweakness due to water penetration. The barrier 134 may include a heatsensitive RFID, thus permitting identification of actual internaltemperature, or identification of temperature conditions requiringattention, such as increased temperature due to the presence of fire,external to the joint or even behind it, such as within a wall.

Fires that start in curtain walls are catastrophic. High and lowpressure changes have deleterious effects on the long term structure andthe connecting features. Providing real time feedback from sensors,particularly given the inexpensive cost of such sensors, in those areasand particularly where the wind, rain and pressure will have theirgreatest impact would provide benefit. While the pressure on the wall isdifficult to measure, for example, the deflection in a pre-compressedsealant is quite rapid and linear. When used, the temperature sensingfunction of the barrier 134 may be extended by use of a heat-conductivematerial in or on the barrier 134 in communication with the RFID.Additionally, an RFID may be in connection with anelectrically-conductive membrane 134, such that a break in the membrane134 may be immediately detected as a result of a change in conductivity.This may be accomplished by a copper membrane, a scrim, or mesh. AFaraday cage or shield may therefore also be used to limit electricalinterference. Additionally, an RFID could be selected which wouldprovide details pertinent to the state of the Leadership in Energy andEnvironmental Design (LEED) efficiency of the building. Additionally,such an RFID, which could identify and transmit air pressuredifferential data, could be used in connection with masonry wall designsthat have cavity walls or in the curtain wall application, where the airpressure differential inside the cavity wall or behind the cavity wallis critical to maintaining the function of the system. RFIDs may bepositioned in other locations within the joint seal 100 to providebeneficial data. An RFID may be positioned within first body ofcompressible foam 120 at or near the first body top 118 to provideprompt notice of detection of heat outside typical operating parameters,so as to indicate potential fire or safety issues. Such a positioningwould be advantageous in horizontal of confined areas. An RFIDpositioned within first body of compressible foam 120 at or near thefirst body top 118 might alternatively be selected to provide moisturepenetration data, beneficial in cases of failure or conditions beyonddesign parameters. In both cases, the RFID provides notice of exposurefrom the surface of the joint seal 100 most distant from the base of thejoint. Alternatively, or in addition, an RFID can be positioned at ornear the second body bottom 130 of the second body of compressible foam128 to provide the same data (fire or water penetration) from the sidemost distant to the surface sealed. Further, RFIDs could be positionedat or near each end 204 of the first body of compressible foam 120and/or the second body of compressible foam 128 so as to communicaterelative position to the RFID positioned in the adjacent joint seal 100,such as where butt ends are spliced together, so as to identify anyseparation, or misalignment, of adjacent joint seals 100. Similarly, anRFID may be selected which provides notice of RF loss.

With the first body of compressible foam 120 and the second body ofcompressible foam 128, the joint seal 100 includes a barrier 134,positioned intermediate the first body of compressible foam 120 and thesecond body of compressible foam 128 so as to be laterally aligned witheach and to extend laterally from at or near a first substrate 102 to ator near a second substrate 104. So as to be sized with the first body ofcompressible foam 120 and the second body of compressible foam 128, thebarrier 134 has a barrier length 214, a barrier width 136 a barrierfirst end 216, and a barrier first side 218. The relative thickness ofeach body 120, 128 and of a barrier 134 is dependent on the compositionsselected for each layer, the overall thickness of the joint seal 100,and the operating width of the joint seal 100. In the preferredembodiment, the thickness of the bodies do not vary by more than fiftypercent (50%) from one another, and no barrier is less than twenty-fivepercent (25%) of the thickness of the thinnest body 120, 128.

Preferably, the second body of compressible foam 128 is twice thethickness of the first body of compressible foam 120, which has thebenefit of moving the barrier 134 closer to the surface where thebarrier 134 can better transfer loads, particularly when wider than thefirst body of compressible foam 120.

The barrier 134 includes a layer of a heat barrier, an infrared barrier,a high tensile barrier, a water barrier, air barrier and/or or a vaporbarrier. In cases of wider pre-compressed foam-based expansion joints,the barrier 134 may be formed of a heavy duty membrane, having anincreased thickness and durability to provide beneficial support forsuch wider joints, particularly horizontal joints up to twelve inches(12″) in width,

This structure provides improved durability to a known problem in theart regarding wide joints, particularly traffic joints, which mustsustain pedestrian and vehicular traffic and the highly concentratedforces associated with such traffic, such as, for example, small ornarrow heels. A barrier 134 having a thickness of at least 0.03 inches(30 mil) better supports transfer loads such as cart wheels and foottraffic and provides durability comparable to use of a cover plate orassembly of spline and cover plate. The profile cut illustrated in FIG.6, for example, is particularly beneficial in electromagnetic field(EMF) applications. Typically in such situations, the type of copperfoil associated with the EMF shielding fatigues and fails after a smallnumber of cycles if required to randomly self “accordion” or flex withinthe foam. A barrier 134 of copper foil having a thickness of at least0.1875 inches or a copper scrim ten (10) inches by ten (10) inchesprovides cycling durability equivalent to that experienced over fiveyears of thermal cycling.

The membrane barrier is important for secondary containment applicationswhere the joint is unattended for long period but must perform in anemergency. If the exposed surface is damaged or worn out it will fail.The internal sealing membrane barrier will be protected and will serveits intended function. The barrier 134 is sufficient to precludepenetration under intended operating conditions, such that a barrier fora one-hour rated fire-resistant expansion joint provides a sufficientbarrier to ensure, together with the other components, including thevarious bodies and any other barriers, that the joint seal passes theapplicable test used to determine the fire-rating.

By laminating in a coplanar orientation, the foam of the first body 120or the second body 128 is not separated by the normal cyclical movementof the joint like is possible/common with parallel laminations undercompression and extension cycling. In some embodiments, no stretching ortension is placed on the membrane barrier design so it may be installedsuch that it is never under tension. The membrane barrier would alwaysbe wider than or at least equivalent to the joint into which it isinstalled in or in the case of a rigid barrier such as a copper EMSsystem it would be smaller and the foam edges would compress and expand.

In the first embodiments of the joint seal 100, these various dimensionsare generally equivalent. The first body length 202, the barrier length214 and the second body length 208 are generally equivalent for providea common length. Similarly, the first body width 124, the barrier width136, and the second body width 132 are generally equivalent for providea common width.

To form the integral whole, the barrier 134 is adhered to the first bodyof compressible foam 120 at the first body bottom 122, the barrier 134is adhered to the second body of compressible foam 128 at the secondbody top 126. This may be accomplished by use of a conventionaladhesive. The group of the first body first end 204, the second bodyfirst end 210, and the barrier first end 216 are co-planar, and thegroup of the first body first side 206, the second body first side 212,and the barrier first side 218 are also co-planar.

When installed, the joint seal 100 provides advantages over the priorart. When installed, the joint seal 100 is compressed between the firstsubstrate 102 and the second substrate 104, such that each side of thejoint seal 100 is in contact with an exposed side 112, 114 of the firstsubstrate 102 and the second substrate 104. While the joint seal 100 maybe maintained in place with adhesive on its sides, some water resistanceis provided as a result of the joint seal 100 remaining in somecompression after installation. The joint seal 100 is selected for usewhere at least the first body width 124 is greater, absent any lateralforces on the joint seal 100, than the distance or gap 105 between theexposed side 112 of the first substrate 102 and the exposed side 116 ofthe second substrate 104. The joint seal 100 is laterally compressed andin positioned in the gap between the first substrate 102 and the secondsubstrate, and preferably below, or equivalent with, one or both of thetop surface 101 of the first substrate 102, a distance 110 above thebottom of the gap 105, and the top surface 103 of the second substrate104, a distance of 114 above the bottom of the gap 105. As the firstbody width 124 is greater than the distance or gap 105 between theexposed side 112 of the first substrate 102 and the exposed side 116 ofthe second substrate 104, the joint seal 100 remains in compression. Thelateral forces attempting to return to the joint seal 100 to theuncompressed, original state, cause the joint seal 100 to remain inplace and for any adhesive to remain in full contact with the sides 112,116 of the substrates 102, 104.

When exposed to fire, the first body of compressible foam 120 may bepartially, or entirely, consumed by fire, but the barrier 134 preventsthe fire from consuming the second body of compressible foam 128, suchthat when fire suppression equipment is used, the first body ofcompressible foam 120 may be blown out of the joint, but the remainingsecond body of compressible foam 128 and barrier 134 prevent water orother materials from entering the joint between the panels, which couldotherwise require removal of the panels.

The joint seal 100 may further include an elastomer 138, such assilicone, adhered to the first body top 118 and/or to the bottom of thebottom-most layer, the second body bottom 130 in the first embodiment.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in another embodiment, the joint seal 100 mayfurther include a third body of compressible foam 302 and a secondbarrier 304. In this embodiment, the third body of compressible foam 302includes a third body top 306, a third body bottom 308, a third bodylength 310, a third body first end 312, a third body width 314, and athird body first side 316. The first body length 202 and the third bodylength 310 are equivalent, and the first body width 124 and the thirdbody width 314 are equivalent. In this embodiment, the second barrier304 is adhered to the second body of compressible foam 128 at the secondbody bottom 130 and is adhered to the third body of compressible foam302 at the third body top 306. The second barrier 304 would include alayer of a heat barrier, an infrared barrier, a high tensile barrier, awater barrier, air barrier and/or a vapor barrier, which need not beidentical to the barrier 134. The first body first end 204 and thesecond barrier first end 315 are co-planar, and the first body firstside 206 and the second barrier first side 318 are co-planar. Therelative thickness of the third body of compressible foam 302 and of thesecond barrier 304 is likewise dependent on the compositions selectedfor each layer, the overall thickness of the joint seal 100, and theoperating width of the joint seal 100. In the preferred embodiment, thethickness of the third body of compressible foam 302 does not vary bymore than twenty-five percent (25%) from the other bodies, and thesecond barrier 304 is less than twenty-five percent (10%) of thethickness of the thinnest body 120, 128, 302.

The barrier 134 and the second barrier 304 need not be a solid whenadhered to the respective bodies of compressible foam, but may be aliquid, including or separate from, the adhesive. Moreover, theembodiment of FIG. 3 may be constructed with the equivalently-sizedprofile cut for the first body of compressible foam 120, the barrier134, the second barrier 304, the second body of compressible foam 128,and the third body of compressible foam 302, while the second barrier304 may utilize the wing 602 and sinusoidal shape depicted in FIG. 6. Asa result, a barrier which is between 0.1875 and 0.325 inches wide butthe same height allows for a barrier thickness of up to 0.06 inches (60mils). Where a barrier, whether the barrier 134 or a second barrier 304,is formed of rigid copper, particularly a rigid copper barrier formed ina sinusoidal shape, it is advantageous for each body of compressiblefoam 120, 128 abutting the barrier to formed to the same sinusoidalshape so that the components mesh together. Thus, the second barrier 304may be set in nosing or concrete, or supplied with an adhesive on theends or underside of the second barrier 304 to facilitate theinstallation of the joint seal 100 in deep joint substrates.

The joint seal 100 is constructed by providing a first body ofcompressible foam 120, providing a second body of compressible foam 128,providing a barrier 134, adhering the barrier 134 to the first body ofcompressible foam 120 at the first body bottom 122, and cutting thefirst body of compressible foam 120, the second body of compressiblefoam 128, and the barrier 134 to provide a common first end, a commonsecond end, a common first side and a common second side.

The method of construction may further include providing a third body ofcompressible foam 302, providing a second barrier 304, adhering thesecond barrier 304 to the second body of compressible foam 128 and tothe third body of compressible foam 302, and cutting the third body ofcompressible foam 302 and second barrier 304 at the common first end, atthe common second end, at the common first side and at the common secondside.

Once these components are joined into an integral unit, the joint seal100 may be cut to length and compressed and imposed between the firstsubstrate 102 and the second substrate 104. The integral unit providesadvantages after the prior art. Because the components are joined intothe joint seal 100 prior to installation, the dimensions of thecomponents are equal, providing a full edge on each surface, avoidingthe potential of exposed surfaces and permitting better joining at thebutt of each joint seal 100. Moreover, because the components are joinedprior to installation in the gap, a complete adhesion between eachcomponent and the adjacent component is obtained, rather than thepotential for air gaps between components and avoiding the potential forany offset in the actual gap, which could frustrate performance.Additionally, because the components are made integral beforeinstallation in the gap, the barrier is assured to be in the correctposition, such that destruction of the top body of compressible foam isdestroyed or rendered inoperable, the barrier maintains its function.

Additionally, the first body of compressible foam 120, the second bodyof compressible foam 128, and where present, the third body ofcompressible foam 302 may be provided with different compression ratios.Different compression ratios would facilitate the installation processand allow for compression ratios to be used that were previouslyunachievable in a single compression ratio system, such as where thefirst body of compressible foam 120 may have a lower compression ratio,while other bodies of compressible foam may have higher compressionratios, resulting in a joint seal 100 which is more watertight at thebottom, while more flexible on the top. As can be appreciated, thisstructure may be reversed for different properties.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in an alternative embodiment 400, the jointseal includes a first body of compressible foam 120, a second body ofcompressible foam 128, and a barrier 134 adhered to both the first bodyof compressible foam 120 and the second body of compressible foam 128,wherein the compressible bodies have equivalent lengths and widths butthe barrier extends beyond the edge of the first body of compressiblefoam 120 on at least one side to provide a wing 402 can be turned up (ordown) and adhered, at installation, to the substrate 102, 104.Additionally, a slow drying adhesive may be applied to the wing 402before insertion. Traditional, faster drying adhesive, such as epoxy,are to be avoided as they can cure before insertion.

This embodiment allows the barrier 134 to extend past the compressiblebody laminations and be used as wing 402 to be set into the concretesubstrate 102 or polymer nosing 804, as illustrated in FIG. 8. This ishelpful for split face concrete or application where it is desirable toextend the properties of the barrier 134 past the edge of the jointsubstrate 102, 104.

Referring to now to FIG. 5, a further alternative embodiment 500 of thejoint seal 100 is illustrated. In the further alternative embodiment500, the barrier 134 protrudes beyond an end of the joint seal 100,providing a tab 502. The barrier 134 may not be adhered to either thefirst body of compressible foam 120 or to the second body ofcompressible foam 128 and an opposing end, or potentially at both endsof the joint seal 100, providing a separable gap 504. As a result, thetab 502 of one unit of the joint seal 100 may be inserted into the endof an adjacent joint seal 100 in the separable gap 504. The length ofthe tab 502 and the distance of separable gap 504 may be as much, oreven more than, two inches. For example, a sixty (60) inch length ofjoint seal 500 may include a three (3) inch tab 502 and a matchinglength gap 504 where the lamination of the first body 120, the barrier134, and the second body 128 are bonded together, so that unbonded tab502 may be inserted and joined, such as with an adhesive on one or bothof its top and bottom, to provide a continuous and overlapping jointsystem. An adhesive seal may be used on each tab 502 or in eachseparable gap 504 to tie adjacent joint seals 100 together so as toprovide a continuous barrier along the length of the joint. Thisresolves a weakness, which may be substantial, of joint unions in jointconstruction and common cause of failure, which is usually accomplishedonly by bonding the butt ends of the joint seals 100 together.

Referring now to FIG. 6, in another further alternative embodiment ofthe joint seal 600, the barrier 134, which could be installed with asinusoidal structure to encourage deformation and rebounding, couldextend outside the edges of the first body 120 and the second body 128to provide a wing 602 to use an anchoring device and/or a continuationof the beneficial properties of the barrier 134. An example would beusing a water and fire resistant foam as the first body 120 with a thickdurable reinforced rubber or other similar water barrier barrier 134with a less-water resistant but more fire resistant foam as the secondbody 128. The rubber barrier 134 would be too thick to compress suchthat it would work well as a moving joint seal but by using the integralsinusoidal pattern for the barrier 134, the first body 120 and thesecond body 128 can compress and work as a joint sealant. The rubberbarrier 134 would extend past the edge of the first body 120 and thesecond body 128 such that it could be set into a polymer nosing orconcrete or act as part of a split slab barrier. This reduces thelikelihood that water can move past the joint sealant 100 even if thetop seal generated by the first body 120 fails or the concrete spalls atthe edge of the joint. This is additionally helpful because the secondbody 128 can be selected for higher fire resistance and with lowerwaterproofing requirements. The wing 602 may include at its edge ananchor 603 of increased thickness.

Referring now to FIG. 7, in another further alternative embodiment 700,the barrier 134 may be of a narrower width than the first body 120 andthe second body 128. Thus, the barrier 134 may terminate short of theedge of the first body 120 and the second body 128. This variationallows for the benefit of the different foams for the first body 120 andthe second body 128 and also allows for the barrier 134 to accept lesscompression while still providing its intended properties.

In connection with each embodiment, cutting the first body 120 and thesecond body 128 into interlocking (male/female) sections using a radiusof at least 0.1875 inches permits a thicker barrier 134 to be usedwithout bowing or deformation of the foam, a benefit previouslyavailable only when a thin barrier 134 might be used. In the prior art,use of a random accordion style would cause the barrier 134 to fatigueafter cycling.

An example is a joint seal using two different fire-rated foams as thefirst body 120 and the second body 128 adhesively bonded together with abarrier 134 of copper foil to block EMF radiation. A barrier 134 ofcopper would not be as flexible as the foam of the first body 120 andthe second body 128 and would benefit from the sides of the first body120 and the second body 128 compressing before the barrier 134 of copperwould need to compress or flex. The resultant joint sealant 700 wouldserve to provide a fire resistant material required in sound booths,studios, and concert halls, and offer the benefit of the barrier 134 ofcopper serving as flexible (compressible) EMF blocking device.

This use of the method would have other uses obvious to those familiarwith the trade to provide a flexible or compressible medium or joint formaterials that are fragile or too rigid to allow for movement over anexpansion joint. A variation to this method for materials that are thickor would require a higher degree of movement would be to cut the foam insuch a pattern to allow for the barrier to bend or flex in a wave typepattern. For smaller, thinner barriers the foam is typically resilientand compressible enough to allow for the variation in the barrier. Forthicker or more rigid barriers it has been found better to cut the foaminto a wavy or zig-zag pattern such that the two sections of foam nestinto each other (or male-female sections). Thereafter the barrier isadhered to both sections such that when the resulting joint material iscompressed the barrier folds with the foam and allows for greater jointmovement than if affixed as a thick straight barrier. Another use ofthis method is to solve the problem of foam joint sealant densities andseparating foams with competing properties. Such is the use of one layerthat is designed to be hydrophobic (some may be slightly to keep out adriving rain other more so for standing water) in its function or notall and the second layer is designed to be hydrophilic. In this case thewaterproof (and maybe radon proof) barrier separates the hydrophiliclayer that will absorb water or moisture increasing its internalcompressive force to stop water penetration but does so in a variablemethod so some water can penetrate before it has expanded enough to sealthe joint. This is undesirable and can lead to mold in confined spaces.The first layer can be designed to work as intended and offer a dryexposed surface area.

Preferably and unlike the prior art, the present disclosure permits ajoint movement of +/−50%, i.e. 100% total, of Class I, II, III Movementper ASTM E-1399 while serving in joints up to 12″ wide as aself-supporting horizontal system.

The foregoing disclosure and description is illustrative and explanatorythereof. Various changes in the details of the illustrated constructionmay be made within the scope of the appended claims without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. The present invention should only belimited by the following claims and their legal equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A joint seal, comprising, a first substrate and asecond substrate separated by a distance, the first substrate having afirst substrate top and a first substrate bottom, and the secondsubstrate having a second substrate top second substrate bottom; a firstpolymer nosing and a second polymer nosing; a first body of compressiblefoam, the first body of compressible foam having a first body top, afirst body bottom, a first body length, a first body first end, a firstbody width, a first body first side, a first body second side, the firstbody width extending from the first body first side to the first bodysecond side, the first body width sized to the distance between thefirst substrate and the second substrate, the first body of compressiblefoam contacting the first polymer nosing at the body first side and thesecond polymer nosing at the first body second side; a second body ofcompressible foam, the second body of compressible foam having a secondbody top, a second body bottom, and a second body length, a second bodyfirst end, a second body width, a second body first side, a second bodysecond side, the second body width extending from the second body firstside to the second body second side, the second body width sized to thedistance between the first substrate and the second substrate so as todirectly contact the first substrate at the second body first side andthe second substrate at the second body second side; a flexible barrier,the barrier having a barrier length, a barrier width, a barrier firstside, a barrier second side, the barrier width greater than the firstbody width and the second body width, the barrier having a first wingterminating at the barrier first side external the first body ofcompressible foam and the second body of compressible foam, the firstwing having a first wing top, and a barrier bottom surface at the firstwing contacting the first substrate, the barrier having a second wingterminating at the barrier second side external the first body ofcompressible foam and the second body of compressible foam, the secondwing having a second wing top, and the barrier bottom surface at thesecond wing contacting the second substrate; the first wing retained anddisposed between the first polymer nosing and the first substrate top,the first polymer nosing contacting the first wing top and the firstsubstrate top, and the second wing retained and disposed between thesecond polymer nosing and the second substrate top, the second polymernosing contacting the second wing top and the second substrate top; thebarrier adhered to the first body of compressible foam at the first bodybottom from the first body first side to the first body second side, thebarrier adhered at the barrier bottom surface to the second body ofcompressible foam at the second body top from the second body first sideto the second body second side; the barrier including a layer of atleast one of a heat barrier, an infrared barrier, a water barrier, airbarrier and a vapor barrier, and the barrier having a tensile strengthgreater than a tensile strength of the first body of compressible foamand greater than a tensile strength of the second body of compressiblefoam; wherein the barrier does not simultaneously contact both the firstbody first side and the second body first side; the first body first endand the second body first end being co-planar; the first body first sideand the second body first side being co-planar; and the first bodysecond side and the second body second side being co-planar.
 2. Thejoint seal of claim 1, wherein the barrier width is equivalent to one ofa sum of the first body width with twice the first body height and a sumof the second body width with twice the second body height; and whereinthe barrier having a sinusoidal shape between the first body first sideand the first body second side.
 3. The joint seal of claim 1, furthercomprising a radio frequency identification device, the radio frequencyidentification device identifying at least one of moisture penetration,heat, and air pressure.
 4. The joint seal system of claim 3 wherein thebarrier is electrically-conductive.